Pet lovers - Welcome to Animal Chaplains.com and Animal Clergy.com!

Do Animals Have Souls?
Yes, they are just like us. They are simply born into animal bodies.
Yes, but somewhere "below" humans.
I don't believe animals OR humans have souls in the traditional religious sense. I believe they are sentient beings who have feelings and thoughts and experience pain.
No, but I love them anyway.
Not sure.
Other.

A specialized ministry of InterfaithOfficiants.com

We offer support resources for people who are bereaved over the loss of an animal they have loved.

We educate the general public about the important work of Animal Chaplains.

We offer a training course for Animal Chaplains and Animal Ministry Leaders.

We offer Animal Chaplains, Animal Ministries and Spiritually-minded animal lovers around the world a place to connect, network, educate and share.

We have a guest book on almost every page of our site, as well as a blog. Please tell us all about the animals in your life.

We provide spiritual readings, multi-faith animal blessings, and stories to inspire animal lovers everywhere!

~ You are among friends here. ~

Please contribute to our important work by clicking here.

IN THE NEWS:

"A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion is Unveiled" by our friends at BestFriends.org and clergy from many faiths. Add your signature today! Help us reach our goal of one million signatures. Press Release page.

Visit our new dogfigthing page here.

Article finds people involved in dogfighting are more likely to have history of criminal abuse toward humans, as well. Read the story here.

Sign the Walmart petition against buying goods made in China that abuse animals.

Welcome to Animal Chaplains.com!

~ Bringing people of faith together for the love of animals. ~

We offer pet loss bereavement resources, information about Animal Chaplains, Chaplain training, animal ministries, pet memorial and funeral services, animal blessings, and we provide an on-line spiritual meeting place for animal lovers. Please stay and look around awhile! We're glad you're here!

Please note: Animal Chaplains.com, Animal Clergy.com, Animal Clergy Training, Interfaith Association of Animal Clergy, Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains, Companion Animal Chaplains, and Interfaith Officiants.com are not affiliated with other animal kinship ministries or chaplaincy asscociations, such as: The Pet Chaplain, Pet Chapel, Chaplain of the Pets, Chaplain of Pets, Chaplain for Pets Chaplain for the Pets, Chaplains for Animals, Chaplains for Pets, Chaplain of the Horses, Chapel of the Fields, or any other trademarked name. Contact information for Chaplains of those ministries may be posted on our clergy pages as a free community service, but each animal ministry is separate and independent. Thank-you.

About our polls: Because Animal Chaplains.com is an interfaith ministry, we do not claim to know the answers to these important religious questions, but we do encourage you to ask them within your own faith tradition, and to dialogue with others about the topic of animals and faith. We believe each person has the right to believe what their faith teaches them, and to apply their beliefs to serving others. All of the major faiths believe in loving and protecting animals in some way. We DO encourage our members, friends and guests to see animals as sentient beings, which many people believe to be intuitive. If you are not sure what "sentient" means, check the definition below. Thank-you!

Please contribute! Animal Chaplains.com is a labor of love and exists solely on contributions for all of the work we do. If you like our message, please help us by making a small contribution. We thank-you (and the animals thank-you)!

Mythbuster - A little corner of Animal Chaplains.com:

Animal lovers do not believe animals are more important than people! Animals are sentient beings, however, like people, and deserve to be treated fairly and humanely. All major faiths teach us to care for animals and people responsibly. Check scriptural sources here. Caring for animals is one of many of our spiritual responsibilities. May your efforts be blessed, and your hearts be strengthened in this important work!

~ Chaplain Nancy, Founder, Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains

Definition of Sentient from www.thefreedictionary.com/sentience sen·tient (snshnt, -sh-nt), adj.

1. Having sense perception; conscious: "The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage" T.E. Lawrence.

2. Experiencing sensation or feeling.

[Latin sentins, sentient-, present participle of sentre, to feel; see sent- in Indo-European roots.] sentient·ly adv.

I Am the Voice of the Voiceless

by Poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I am the voice of the voiceless;

Through me the dumb shall speak,

Till a deaf world's ear,

Shall be made to hear,

The wrongs of the wordless weak.

The same force formed the sparrow,

That fashioned man, the king.

The God of the Whole,

Gave a spark of soul,

To furred and feathered thing.

And I am my brother's keeper,

And I will fight his fight,

And speak the word,

For beast and bird.

Till the world shall set things right.

Animal Chaplains thanks the following companies who helped save animals and their companions during the 2007California wildfires by offering food, shelter, protection, water, adoptions, or other resources. Please click on the name to read how they helped:

American Humane Society

American Red Cross

Animal Planet's PetFinder.com

United Animal Nations

Wellness/Old Mother Hubbard

VCA Animal Hospitals

Please let us know which other groups we can thank here by emailing us at animalclergy@aol.com.